Tinged (The Electric Tunnel Book 3)

by Rachel Blaufeld

  Bursting into the lobby of the hotel, I ran straight into my next obstacle. Literally. I was a pathetic sack of shit, not thinking straight, and absolutely no use to my woman.

  “Sir? Mike? My name’s Sam. I work with Carson. I’m going to have to ask you to calm down.”

  Why did Carson have to know me so well?

  Shrugging his meaty hand off my shoulder, I walked like a good boy toward some conference room and showed myself in. Inside was a man talking on the phone.

  “Yeah, he’s here. We got him. Predictable, yep,” he said, laughing into the phone.

  Without needing to confirm he was talking about me, I gave him the finger. He laughed even harder before disconnecting his call and turning his attention to me.

  “Just got word the sheik’s right-hand guy went up to the room,” he said. “Looks like you won’t be waiting long to see your lady.”

  Wanting to break the hell out of here, I looked toward the door and the other agent, Sam, blocking the exit.

  I pulled back my shoulders and puffed out my chest. Hell, if he wanted to see who had a bigger cock, I was game. “I want out of here. This sting is over.”

  As both agents shook their heads at me, the phone rang. The agent who’d been on the phone before answered it.

  “Yup, Mitchell here.” After being quiet for what felt like a lifetime, he said, “Got it,” and hung up.

  “Listen, sir.” Hating to have to grovel, I cleared my throat. “That’s my woman in there. I’m crawling out of my skin not being able to do anything.”

  “Calm your balls,” Mitchell said. “Your guy Landon is already in place, waiting by the elevators. As soon as that trio leaves the room, they’re done. All the exits have been blocked, so there’s no escape for them. Pretty much, the idiot pimp did them in when he picked a room so high up.”

  Sam nodded and added his two cents. “Sit, pace, whatever the fuck you gotta do, because you’re not getting out of here.”

  “Forget my balls,” I said, my emotions churning out of control. “I’m going to grow a pussy soon with this bullshit. I’m a bouncer, you know? I manage some of the toughest clubs in the country.” My fist met with the wall, sending cheap paint and drywall raining to the floor.

  Mitchell shrugged and said, “Have at it,” as Sam said, “We’re keeping you here.”

  “Fuck you, Sam. Who are you? My fairy godmother?”

  He didn’t answer, further infuriating me, so rather than beat the shit out of him like I wanted to, I ended up pacing. My shoes ate up the burlap carpet, the friction I created picking up carpet fibers, making them stick to the synthetic soles of my basketball shoes. Needing to calm the fuck down, I stared at my shoes as I paced.

  Deep in mindless thought, I almost didn’t hear the phone buzz a while later.

  “They got ’em,” Mitchell said, and my head shot up.

  “They what?”

  “They have your woman, bringing her back here now as we speak. The pimp and the right-hand guy are gonna be off somewhere far, far away. Done and done. Happily ever after.”

  I tuned out the rest of what he said because the door opened, and in walked Lynx and Landon.

  Suddenly, I couldn’t move. My feet were glued to the floor as I watched her walk toward me in slow motion. Her head was on Landon’s shoulder, his arm wrapped tight around her—and it should have been me.

  Stunned, I couldn’t stop staring at her, taking in her short denim shorts, wrinkled tank, and sandals, needing to reassure myself she was okay as she leaned on Landon. I’d never felt more helpless and useless in all my life.

  “Michael.” She stood in front of me, standing on her own.

  Every emotion, thought, and feeling was lodged in my lungs, squeezing until my breath was nothing but a wheeze.

  Swallowing, I pulled her close, all the way close, my hip to her belly. “Babe, fucking hell. Are you okay?”

  She nodded into my chest as her tears seeped into my shirt. The agents floated off into the background; Landon was only a figment of my imagination. For several breaths, it was only the two of us—Lynx and Big Mike.

  My lips pressed to the top of her head. “Lynx, baby, you okay? My heart barely beat all night.”

  She grabbed my shirt, fisting a handful and pulling me even closer, tighter, nearer. “Don’t move,” she begged, and I shook my head.

  “I’m not. This is all my fault. I should’ve kept Jovi with you.”

  Her eyes finally met mine. “This isn’t your fault. I can’t even talk about that, so shut up.”

  “Lynx!” And just like that, our moment was broken, cock-blocked by Carson as he strode like a panther into the room, silent but deadly.

  “You’re a brave one.” He tugged Lynx out of my arms and hugged her as he looked over at me. “Hold your fire, Mike. I’m giving her back.”

  He did, and she was back into my arms.

  “You ready to roll out of here?” I didn’t know where we would go or how we would get there, but I needed out of these four walls. I needed privacy and open air.

  “Yes.” Her voice was tired and hoarse. With her hair a mess, all wild and kinky, her eye makeup smudged and her bra strap slipping out of her tank—she’d never looked more beautifully disheveled and mine.

  I pulled Lynx into my side and made my way to the door. “You’re going to pay for keeping me in here,” I told Sam.

  “Looking forward to it,” the bastard said with a smirk.

  Landon said to Carson, “We’re going to debrief in the local office.”

  “Do your thing,” Carson replied as he followed us out the door. “I’m going to get these two home.”

  Best thing I’d heard all night.

  AN HOUR or so before dawn, Carson pulled in front of our building and put the SUV in park. The ride had been quiet. He knew I was mad at him for not letting me help, and being Carson, he completely ignored my sulking.

  “Here you are, kiddies. Home, safe and sound. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he said, chuckling.

  Lynx stirred in my lap. I brushed the matted hair from her face, and she opened her eyes. She’d conked out as soon as we hit the Alley and hadn’t moved since, probably the shock and adrenaline wearing off. Unfortunately for me, I was still pissed off and half-cocked to kill someone.

  I tamped down my agitation and ran a hand over her cheek. “Babe, we’re home.”

  She cleared her throat and sat up, staring outside the window, and nodded.

  Carson, being increasingly more annoying, came around and opened the door like a limo driver.

  “Madame,” he said, holding his hand out for Lynx. When she climbed out, he pulled her into a giant hug. “It’s all going to be okay, honey. It’s over now. Lila is going to call you in the morning so you can chat. She went through something similar, and look at her now. It’s all good in front of you.”

  Lynx practically fell into Carson at his words, her forehead braced on his shoulder, her hand digging into his arm. It was hard not to be seething with jealousy, but I reminded myself that Carson was family. At the end of the day, he was right—Lila had been through something similar, and now she was all good.

  Carson finally let go of Lynx and sent her my way. “Mike, take care of your lady.”

  Thank fuck.

  She came eagerly into my embrace, plowing her face into my chest. And that’s how we walked into the building, Lynx leaning into me, her face on my shoulder.

  Mine.

  Upstairs inside our place, I gently braced her against the wall and placed a kiss on her cheek, her forehead, her other cheek, and everywhere else. All over her face and jaw and neck, I placed gentle and chaste kisses filled with promise.

  “Michael, thank you,” she whispered.

  “I didn’t do anything. It was all Landon and Carson.”

  “Babe.” Her hand smoothed over my shoulder and down my forearm. “Without thinking of you, knowing you’d come, believing in us, I never would’ve made it through that. Never.”r />
  I can live with that.

  “I love you,” I told her.

  “Love you back. So, so much,” she said, breathing life into my soul.

  Still holding her, I asked, “Are you hungry?” We’d had bottled water in the car, and Lynx had managed to eat a banana.

  She shook her head. “I want to get out of these clothes.”

  “No problem. Don’t look at this mess. I’ll deal with it tomorrow.”

  Lifting her off the floor and cradling her in my arms, I carried her to the spare bathroom. Once I set her on her feet on the heated tile floor, she kicked off her shoes and I stripped her of her clothes.

  “Garbage,” she mumbled, and I tossed them toward the trash can. I’d take them out later.

  Turning on the shower, I checked the water temperature and lifted Lynx in. Quickly getting rid of my own clothes and shoes, I joined her underneath the spray.

  I took the lilac-scented soap Lynx loved and lathered every inch of her soft skin, water continuing to rain down on us. She tilted her head back and shampooed and rinsed her hair. I added some conditioner like I’d seen her do so many times, and combed it out, holding her close the entire time.

  My entire life was inside the shower. The club, the hotel, the Tunnel gang . . . they were all important . . . but nothing like Lynx.

  When she was done with her hair, I looked into her eyes, telling her without words what had just crossed my mind. She knew—I could tell she knew—but I said it anyway.

  “There’s nothing more important than you, Lynx. Nothing.”

  “Back at you, Big Mike,” she murmured into my mouth, capturing my lips in hers, our tongues making love and our lower halves searching for friction.

  “Michael,” I mumbled back.

  “Michael.”

  It was quiet but I heard it, and my heart picked up pace. So did her tongue, until I broke free for a moment.

  “You okay with this?” Even though she’d started it, I needed to make sure. She’d been through a lot of shit today.

  Widening her eyes at me, she whispered, “More.”

  I turned off the water and grabbed the towel off the rack, bundled Lynx, and carried her to the bed, my body dripping all the way. At least I remembered to toss back the covers before I spread her out on the bed.

  Hovering over her, I ran my hand down her side, taking my time, allowing my fingers to tease her nipples and then adventure lower, running across her core before dipping inside her. She moaned, and I felt the sound all the way to my toes.

  “Please,” she begged, and I obliged, sinking deep inside my woman.

  Rocking gently at first, we took our time, stretching out our satisfaction, taking pleasure in every movement. Until Lynx hooked her leg around my hip and dug her foot into my ass, and I couldn’t control it anymore. I went faster, diving deep, the sound of our bodies slapping reverberating around the room until we both fell over the cliff.

  Lynx went first, and I followed fast.

  Afterward, we both lay there quietly, touching each other, holding each other tight until we fell asleep as the sun rose higher in the sky.

  IT WAS mid-afternoon before I finally woke up and rolled over, finding Lynx’s sleepy gaze on me.

  “Hey,” I said, my voice heavy with sleep and tension from the long, stress-filled night.

  Lynx smiled and placed a kiss on my naked chest, her lips lingering. “What did I do to deserve you?”

  Tipping her chin up with my finger, I said, “No way. It’s all me deserving you. I must have made the gods happy.” When she broke free of my stare and buried her face in my chest again, I asked, “You okay? Want to talk?”

  She shook her head against me.

  “No, you’re not okay, or no, you don’t want to talk?”

  “I think I’m okay.” Her lips tickled my chest as she spoke. “But I don’t want to talk. I sort of feel like it’s time to put this all behind me.”

  Pressing my lips to the top of her head, I decided to let it go. She’d talk and deal with this when she was ready. “Hungry?”

  “Thirsty.”

  “Make yourself comfortable, and I’ll be back. You want juice? It might be afternoon, but it’s breakfast time for me.”

  “And coffee.” A smile spread across her face as she settled back into the pillows.

  “No prob.”

  I slipped out of bed and walked buck naked to the kitchen, made coffee, poured juice, and was back with a tray in hand. When I set the tray down, I caught sight of my jeans on the dresser and remembered what the hell I did the day before—before all the bullshit.

  Snatching them up quickly, I shoved my hand in the pocket.

  Score.

  Lynx eyed me from across the room, watching every move I made.

  “Have some coffee,” I told her. “It’s getting cold.”

  She shook her head, her eyes fixed on my hand, now holding a small black box.

  “You want this?” I winked, teasing her. “Do you know what it is?”

  She swallowed but said nothing, her eyes wide as she stared at the box in my hand.

  Kneeling beside the bed, I said, “Lynx Whisper Bennett, will you marry me? I know I asked you the other night, but I wanted it to be official.” When I cracked the box open, the stones caught the sunlight streaming in through the window, and sent sparkles dancing over every wall in the room.

  Lynx remained silent, simply staring at the ring.

  “Well?” I couldn’t help myself.

  Her eyes, brimming with unshed tears, met mine. “Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you, Michael Anthony Wind.”

  Needless to say, the coffee got cold.

  Later, I made a fresh pot while Lynx sat on the countertop in only a tank and underwear, her ring sparkling on her finger.

  “MIKE,” BOOMED through my office phone when I answered, my feet up on my desk, the patio doors open, ocean air floating in.

  “What’s up?”

  “It’s happening. Natalie’s having the baby. Shit . . .”

  “You’ve done this before, Ash. What’s the problem?”

  “I’m old. She’s my world. I’m having a fucking fit. Get your ass out here.”

  I laughed into the phone. It wasn’t often that Asher was rattled—I wanted to enjoy this for a minute or two.

  “By the time I get a flight out of here, you’ll have a new baby. You’ll be okay.”

  “Don’t be an ass. Get out here.”

  “What about Petey?”

  I clicked on my computer and messaged Carson about the availability of his plane.

  “Shut the fuck up. I love Petey; he’s great. But, dude, I need you. Tonight, I’m going to be home with Quinn and the twins for the first time ever—alone.” When I laughed, he said, “Yeah, yeah, cut your bullshit. I know I’m spoiled, but I need you. You’re like a brother. More than Petey, but don’t tell him,” Asher said, rambling on for a long while.

  By the time he finally took a breath, Carson had a flight lined up for me with a friend.

  “I got you, Ash. I got you.”

  “And bring Lynx because I’m going to need her help with the kids. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.”

  “I kind of figured that, you ass.”

  “Nat said I should call one of the girls from her gym or the club, but I’ll look like an idiot.”

  “I feel you, man. I’m coming with Lynx. Gotta hang up so we can get moving.”

  He disconnected without another word, and I called Sampson. He wasn’t affiliated with the hotel yet, but he knew how I liked shit done. I told him what was happening and asked him to come by while I was gone, check on my office and front desk, talk to the managers, see if there were any problems.

  Then I texted Lynx, who texted back a bunch of girl emojis. I expected that one. She’d formed a sort of texting kinship with Quinn now that he was older and they’d reconnected.

  By the time I got home to grab her and our luggage, Lynx was jumping in place, mumbling something
like, “Baby time, and I’m going to meet Quinney’s girl.”

  Lord help me.

  AS LYNX and I touched down in Vegas, our phones beeped simultaneously. Asher and Natalie were the proud parents of a brand-new baby girl, still unnamed.

  A car was waiting to take us to the hospital, where we were greeted by Quinn, Lillie, and Parker eating candy in the waiting area—courtesy of Sadie from the Tunnel.

  Sadie waved us over. “Hey, guys.”

  “Mike!” Quinn stood, holding out his hand and puffing out his chest.

  “Come here, you idiot.” I pulled him in for a hug. “I don’t care if you’re almost a man, you just became a big bro. Again.”

  “Hi, Quinney,” Lynx said, causing the kid to blush.

  “She called you Quinney!” Parker jumped up and down, hopped up on sugar.

  “Pipe down, you little sh—, I mean squirt.” Quinn tapped his little brother on the head.

  “Hi, Lynx, ’member me?” Lillie stood tall and proud in a bright pink I’M THE BIG SIS T-shirt.

  “I sure do.” Lynx wrapped her in tight. “I’m here to take good care of you like I used to do for Quinney . . . I mean, Quinn.”

  “Yay! Mom had a baby. A girl, so everything is going to be pink! Dad’s all grumpy and says he has three girls, including Mom, to make him crazy now.”

  “I bet he is.” Lynx laughed. “Your dad is a tad overprotective.”

  Sadie caught my eye. “We were just up there, and then the nurse shooed us out so she could help Nat get more comfortable. I kind of got the gang all candied out.”

  “No problem. When can we go back up?”

  Sadie started to answer me when her eyes caught on the door. I turned to see what captured her gaze, and of course, it was Billy. He was my replacement in Vegas, and another strip-club employee smitten with a dancer.

  “Hey, Sadie,” he said, shuffling some flowers in his hands.

  “We had to leave the room.” Sadie’s gaze softened as she took in the flowers. “But those are beautiful.”